Deuteronomy 11:1-10

1 Therefore, thou shalt love the LORD thy God and keep his charge and his statutes and his rights and his commandments, always.

2 And know ye this day; for I speak not with your children who have not known and who have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his outstretched arm,

3 and his miracles and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh, the king of Egypt and unto all his land,

4 and what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you and how the LORD has destroyed them unto this day,

5 and what he did with you in the wilderness until ye came into this place,

6 and what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their households and their tents and all the substance that was in their possession in the midst of all Israel;

7 but your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.

8 Keep, therefore, all the commandments which I command you this day that ye may be strong and enter in and inherit the land, into which ye go to inherit it

9 and that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that flows with milk and honey.

10 For the land, into which thou goest to inherit it, is not as the land of Egypt, from which ye came out, where thou didst sow thy seed and water it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs.

Deuteronomy 11:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 11

In this chapter, the exhortation to love the Lord, and keep his commands, is repeated and urged again and again from various considerations; as not only from the chastisement of Pharaoh and the wicked Egyptians, but of such Israelites who offended the Lord, and transgressed his law, De 12:1-7, from the goodness and excellency of the land they were going to inherit, De 11:8-11, from the blessing of rain that would come upon it, and be productive of all good things for man and beast, in case of obedience, and a restraint of it in case of disobedience, De 11:12-17, from the continuance of them and their offspring in the land, should they be careful to observe the commands themselves, and teach them their children, De 11:18-21, and from the extensiveness of their conquests and dominions, De 11:22-25 and from the different issue and effects of their conduct and behaviour, a blessing upon them if obedient, but a curse if disobedient, De 11:26-28 and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal; the situation of which places is described when they should come into the land of Canaan, of which they are assured, De 11:29-32.